Started Arabic classes and found a flat

I stayed in Hotel Farah in downtown Amman for 3 weeks, it was ace, there was an abundance of travellers coming though with information, inspiration and stories. I wanted to get a homestay with an Arabic family so I would learn Arabic faster. I met one family who were awesome and lovely, but they all spoke English perfectly, they lived way out of town, and when dropping me off the dad hit on me. Stink. 

So I have moved in with and American chick who has been living here for 4 years. She lives 20 minutes walk away from my school and 20 minutes downhill walk to downtown. The only disadvantage it that it is uphill to get home. 

This is Farah Hotel, I totally recommend it.

My room is twice the size of the 6 bed dorm I was in, and it's also a bit cheaper too. Bonus. 

I started Arabic classes at the Modern Language Centre, the first class they put me in was at 9am and had 3 chicks of above average attractiveness (Australian, Tanzanian & French) who all live here and are light years ahead of me in Arabic. So I asked to move class. They had no other beginners, so I'm now in a 11am class by myself. It's hard but it is good. My teacher is incredibly patient, she has to be. 

I'm so glad I learnt the alphabet before I came, otherwise I would be totally lost. I enjoy the writing bit. I don't mean I enjoy spelling or grammar or reading or learning words, I mean I enjoy drawing the letters. Today I did some dictation on the whiteboard. I tried to make the word for giraffe (zrafa) look like a weird looking giraffe. The teacher did not find it as ingenious and witty as I did. 

This is a pretty mural I pass on my walk to school

Classes are 2 hours a day, 5 days a week. It's a weird having so much free time. I'm reading books at a snail's pace. At the moment I'm reading a great book by a Gaza doctor called I shall not Hate. I've also been doing some research and writing for Wikipedia, I hope to get better at it and do some more.

I finish classes at the end of May, I have lined up a volunteer position teaching in Nablus, West Bank.